Notes from 2000 Reunion: Gramp rigged pump with old motor oil Fire in stove when Marvin was a baby--capon chicken operation. Myrtle held Marvin on cedar chest (baby) in Winner. Gram had to stand outside barefoot in winter--lots of tornadoes, & Gram would gather the kids & take to root cellar. Firemen (?) came and sprayed the chickens, and they all froze.

Myrtle (summer turned 12) lady across pasture was supposed to check on them, barbed wire with Dad on hip. Welfare ladies came, asked where parents were (after 2-3 weeks); would leave kids with Marvin & ride bike to pick up LT's check--back to house with welfare lady--had had pillow fight. Bill & Morris taken because they fought, & Flo to work. LT lost wallet in bathroom (gone when went back to check). Had letter with LT's ID address. --picked fruit in ID (Bill's 7th b-day) [Gramp had to come up & calm Irene & Myrtle down?] & called to come get them. LT & Blanche took Bill & went back ('29 Plymouth) (left Flo & Morris, etc.) in ID. One of these trips axle broke in Pocatello. Also, Myrtle holding gearshift in place & falling asleep & Gramp waking her up--"We're crossing the Continental Divide--I just saw a deer!"

My scrawled notes: "Gram's parents split up when she was 13, then her mom took the kids back to Nebraska (where her parents were maybe rich--big house, Anders paid for Gram's & cousin's confirm. dress). Then relatives in S.D. told her she needed to go back if she was to keep her husband. He'd "taken up" with Mrs. (Old Lady) Meisner--husband owned bar--& she had a son (Sonny) who lives in McMinnville, Oregon. Sophie talked to Lutheran minister abt. husb & he advised divorce. Myrtle (& Irene) were w/one of Gram's sisters in Witten (?) & she (sister) said, "Look, there's Papa" (Carl)--always in a brown suit & felt hat. owned liquor store.

A. Myrtle moved from Neb at 5--before then went to someone's funeral (Gam put her all in yellow) hot--laid in dirt, spanked.

Gram's dad died shortly after Deanna was born. Gramp got telegram & Gram couldn't go because of Deanna & went crying to the outhouse. Myrtle was confused & went out to find out why."

More notes, apparently taken in 1988: "1921--Gram M. knew Indian in S. Dakota named War Bonnet--at least 3 wives, had oldest kid when 80. He fought in "The War", probably Custer's last stand--old Sioux. Gram was always scared Indians would attack when she was a girl, an Indian, perhaps W.B., came up, gesturing. G thought perhaps he knew more English than he was letting on. They'd just made bread, & they finally figured out he wanted bread. They gave him bread. He wanted to trade his mocs for bread & GM told him they didn't want them and to go. Most were Catholic and sent kids to boarding school. Weird names--Nelly, Mag [?]. 2 Indian girls she knew married whites, one husband Shaffer, one some Norwegian name. WB probably chief. braids. third wife--others died, probably of old age. skinny & little. Her horse, Nancy, was stolen by white man. brownish, with star on head. Gram didn't like big horses, liked ponies. Ozro was smart, knew everyone & everything. Oz b-day--June 9, same as Gloria--77. June 11--Lester. Irene--12 yr. younger--67--gone 1981 (?) This is in notes. Lester (?) used to traveling salesman, Burrows Co., sold adding machines. Went to horse races of weekends. Delores (?) husband raises horses, Indians raised crops, cattle. Envied them having 4 rooms, no electricity no indoor plumbing. Mr. Garneys (?) [??]--Indian--died of flu outside toilet. Bravey boys--George, Joe, Alec, Steve, Nellie, Emma, Ida. Last name--Braveboy. Called them: George Brave (no boy). Ida married Indian named Wilson--Crow from N. Dakota. Mrs. Joe Brave had been Crow, married Sioux. Pineridge Res.--Indian kids went to boarding school there. Bob Barker, part Indian, went there. Wounded Knee--S. Dakota, close to Indian mission. Abarusk (?)--Greek--Gram went to school with his brother Blond, her mom was dark. trouble with drink, less than now. Gm lived on homestead. Indians there lived on own land--160 acres--self-supportive rented I land. Raised everything--mostly corn, also small grain, garden, her mom hauled water from well aways away down a hill hired man used to see empty bucket & take dipper for a drink, her mom used to get angry he didn't take whole bucket. well 12 ft deep, didn't freeze. Connected to engine to pump up water--no windmills. met dad in S. Dak. he was thrashing--Gm was 13, hid behind door, thot Gp was old man. took 2 days to thrash fields--24 in. McCormick thrasher--couldn't move big machine. 1, maybe 2 men on thrash crew. Mattick helped, owned the outfit, had Gp run it. Took 2 guys w/8 racks to field thrash. Gm's dad was alwasy wrassling. HAD to wrassle & pitch horseshoes. Used to hurt each other some--Gm's dad was 22 when Gm born.

Pearlie met husband at Pierre husband played ball & sang, separated, not divorced. Probly drank himself to death. Percy (son) drinks. Came out in '46. Gm came out in '44. Tall. Gp raised in Ft. Collins, Col., with people named Rudolph. Gm disagreed w/whites on Indians non-rights.

Ino [?] (WB son-in-law)--he always said, "I know, I know," so they called him Ino. George Brave was big. No kids. Indians hung cradles on ceiling. Swung it occasionally to keep baby happy. big entertainment was to visit every Sunday. Had church in schoolhouse. Baptist minister w/7 kids came, preached. Came from Todd Co. Gm lived north of Wood. 2-3 stores, bank. 40 miles to Winner, 13 mi. to Wood. Bought sugar, coffee, flour, raised all else. Glen Sherwood's nearest neighbor--1 mi away. School on their land. Pearl Sherwood, used to be teacher--used to be snob. Teacher was good teacher but couldn't sing. Mildred Kemp. Studied out of encyclo's. School board thot they didn't need schooling. Kemp tot for 4 years. Next Teacher was 16, sposed to go to summer school, didn't, made her quit. Next man, used dope. Studied Edgar Allan Poe. Told parents, didn't believe them. Threw stuff. Gm was in 6th grade. Girl told him he was the funniest man she ever saw. They were scared of him. One day he brought fake-looking white candy. They wouldn't take it. About 30. Started school at 10 AM. One day he noticed farmers talking & gathering. They were plotting against him. 16 yr girl was nice & probly new enough. Nearly 6 ft tall. Lily Larson. Kemp had to ride 4-5 mi. on horseback to school, started fire of coal. Her horse had to stand there all day. Carried water from Sherwoods. Tot to not drink out of others' water glass, but then had dipper. Cooked stew, etc., at school. Potluck. Decided daily what to bring. Brot sandwich, too. Drank water. Took turns hauling watter & cleaning blackboards. Teacher did fire. Saffer (?) kids walked 2 1/2 mi. to school. Hans, their dad, (Sattrey) (full Norwe.) walked w/them to not let them get lost in storm. Olga, Emma, Kermit, Hellen, Alice, Robert, Emma Sattrey (Satree)--best friend w/Gm. Wife full-blood Norwe., too. Emma getting ready for 25th anni., Gm sent card, he wrote & said she had passed away getting ready. Emma 2 yrs. older. Few pictures taken. Man came & took family picture. Gram would've been 10 (?) 1st language was Nor. Brother died at 2, only knew Nor."

"As to Mom and Dad. I understand that he worked for Grandpa Wilson as thrasher or thresher when she was 13 and he was 20. Years later Grandma ran into himin Winner after his wife died when Irene was 4 months and Flo 2 years and 4 months which would have been in March but Mom and Dad only went together for six weeks before they got married Sept. 17, 1930. Grandma thought he would make Mom a good husband. She had a boyfriend in Nebraska Leonard Schoval who later married but had no children. He died of cancer in 1966. Mom found this out from one of cousins either Martha or Louise Roberg."